Iraq-Kurdish Force to Regain Mosul from ISIS, Says US

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Iraq-Kurdish Force to Regain Mosul from ISIS, Says US

Christian Today report– An Iraqi and Kurdish military force of some 20,000 to 25,000 troops is being prepared to recapture the city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters, probably in the April-May time frame, an official at the US Central Command said on Thursday.

The official said Mosul was currently being held by 1,000 to 2,000 Islamic State fighters. No decision has been made on whether small numbers of US military advisers might need to be on the ground close to Mosul to direct close air support, the official told a group of reporters on condition of anonymity.

Mosul, which had a population of over 1 million people, was captured by Islamic State fighters in June and is the largest city in the group’s self-declared caliphate, a stretch of territory that straddles the border between northern Iraq and eastern Syria.

The main attack force being assembled for the Mosul campaign would include five Iraqi army brigades, the official said. Three smaller brigades would act as a reserve force, and three brigades of Kurdish peshmerga troops would contain the city from the north and isolate it from Islamic State forces further west.

A so-called Mosul fighting force consisting mainly of former Mosul police officers and tribal fighters also is being assembled for the assault, the official said. About a brigade of counterterrorism troops also would be employed in the fight, he said. The total number of troops would be 20,000 to 25,000.

The aim of Iraqi and US military leaders is to have all five Iraqi army brigades that comprise the main attack force participate in US-led training currently going on in Iraq. That will begin once the present batch of 3,200 trainees rotate out of the five training sites, the official said.

The official said the timing of the offensive would ultimately depend on the readiness of Iraqi forces, which collapsed last summer as Islamic State conquered Mosul, the country’s second-largest city, and raced across northern Iraq.

It is highly unusual for the US military to openly telegraph the timing of an upcoming offensive, especially to a large group of reporters.

Asked why the exception was being made for the Mosul offensive, which the Pentagon has described as a pivotal battle in the overall campaign in Iraq, the official said it was a reflection of the confidence of Iraq, which had devised the battle plan.

“They are absolutely committed to this. There are a lot of pieces that have to come together and we want to make sure the conditions are right. But this is their plan. They have bought into it. They are moving forward as if they will execute in the time frame that I just described,” the official said.

Source: Christian Today

 

Aberystwyth University Students Might Vote to Consider Bible Presence in Dorm ‘Unacceptable’

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Aberystwyth University Students Might Vote to Consider Bible Presence in Dorm ‘Unacceptable’

Christian Today report– Bibles in dorm rooms at UK college Aberystwyth University may become obsolete if the majority of students have their way.

A recent survey by the Student Union found that more than half of students find the religious text “unacceptable” or “uncomfortable” in a public institution, according to the Huffington Post.

 

The issue was raised last month by John David Morgan, a university student. Morgan found the default presence of Bibles in the dorms “inappropriate in a multicultural university.”

“It could be offensive for some, and the university should provide a safe space for students to explore and develop their beliefs in a neutral environment,” he explained.

“Bibles should, however, still be available for those who wish to have them.”

 

Jessica Hearne, a Christian student at Aberystwyth, was offended by the proposal to remove the Bibles.

“I think it’s disgusting for a free Bible in your room to be deemed ‘inappropriate,'” she told a student website.

“Athough we’re being called a ‘multicultural environment’, we are and have been for a long time, a Christian country.

“It offends me that the religious text of my country is being called inappropriate in its own country. Practising your own religion is completely fine, but accepting the religion of the area you live in as the norm is also important.”

The Student Union survey found that only 4 per cent of respondents thought that placing Bibles in the residence halls was a “good idea.”

The student council will convene later this month to determine whether to propose a removal of the Bibles to university officials.

Source: Christian Today

Vicar of Baghdad Warns Westerners not to Join Christian Militia to Fight ISIS

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Vicar of Baghdad Warns Westerners not to Join Christian Militia to Fight ISIS

Christian Post report– Concerned about reports that some idealistic Christian sympathizers have been moving to Iraq and Syria to join the fight against ISIS, the Vicar of Baghdad, Rev. Canon Andrew White, warned against the trend this week because, he said, the Christian militia fighting against ISIS in Iraq is “hopeless at fighting.”

Recounting a conversation he had with one of his Iraqi Christian guards to Christian Today while on a fundraising mission in Tennessee, White explained that the Christian fighters are “universally hopeless at fighting, let alone fighting ISIS.”

“I said to him (Iraqi Christian guard), ‘What would you do if ISIS were coming toward us?’ He said, ‘I would rip off my uniform and run.’ So I said, ‘Why do you do this job?’ He said, ‘I do it because I need the money,'” said White.

“Christians are no good at being soldiers. If going to join the new militia makes them feel good, great. But it will achieve absolutely nothing. We are dealing with an evil, evil regime as we saw in Libya with the beheadings of the Coptic Christians. There is very little that any Iraqi Christian or British Christian can do to help. The best thing they can do is stay at home,” he added.

While thousands of foreigners have been joining ISIS in Iraq and Syria in the past two years, Reuters reported Sunday that some Christian sympathizers, such as a 28-year-old U.S. Army veteran named Brett, have been joining a Christian militia against ISIS called Dwekh Nawsha. The name means self-sacrifice in ancient Aramaic, the language spoken by Christ and is still used by Assyrian Christians. The Christian militia operates alongside Kurdish peshmerga forces to protect Christian villages on the frontline in Nineveh province, according to Reuters.

“These are some of the only towns in Nineveh where church bells ring. In every other town the bells have gone silent, and that’s unacceptable,” Brett, who has “The King of Nineveh” written in Arabic on the front of his Army vest, told Reuters.

“Here I’m fighting for a people and for a faith, and the enemy is much bigger and more brutal,” he added.

Source: Christian Post

 

Italian Bishop Says He is Ready for Martyrdom as He Refuses to Leave Libyan City

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Italian Bishop Says He is Ready for Martyrdom as He Refuses to Leave Libyan City

Christian Today report– The Italian Bishop of Tripoli has refused to leave the Libyan city in spite of the deaths of the 21 Coptic Christians, and has said that he is ready for martyrdom.

Bishop Giovanni Martinelli has stayed in the city although almost all of his countrymen have left, repatriated by the Italian government in the face of the serious threat posed by Islamic State jihadists. They returned on a ferry escorted by an Italian warship covered by Predator drone flying overhead.

In an interview with the Corriere del Veneto newspaper, Martinelli said that his decision to stay was “the culmination of my testimony”. He said that he had been threatened in the street by a Muslim man who told him, “You are against Islam.”

“In church they came to tell me that I must die,” he added.

“But I want you to know that Father Martinelli is well,” he said, adding that if it was God’s will that he should be beheaded, “so it will be”.

“Being able to give testimony is a precious thing,” he said. “I thank the Lord that he allows me to do so, even with martyrdom.

“I’m not moving from here. And I’m not afraid.”

He referred to the action of St Francis of Assisi, who accompanied a Crusader army to Egypt in 1219 and visited the camp of Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil in an unsuccessful attempt to convert him, saying: “Whoever wants to go among the Saracens must leave everything.”

The bishop has lived in Libya since 1971 and regards it as his home. When he arrived in the country there were 150,000 Christians there, a number that has dwindled to only 300.

Source: Christian Today

 

Ousted Christian Fire Chief Files Lawsuit Against City of Atlanta

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Ousted Christian Fire Chief Files Lawsuit Against City of Atlanta

Christian Post report– Attorneys for ousted Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Atlanta on Wednesday, claiming his termination violates his constitutional rights.

Cochran, a devout Christian, was fired by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in January after seven years of service as Atlanta’s fire chief, for sharing his faith in a self-published book and handing out copies to employees. His lawsuit against the city comes nearly one month after Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed a federal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on religious freedom grounds.

“Americans are guaranteed the freedom to live without fear of being fired because of their beliefs and thoughts,” said ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman in a statement shared with The Christian Post. “The city of Atlanta is not above the Constitution and federal law. In America, a religious or ideological test cannot be used to fire a public servant.”

The city has not yet publicly responded to Cochran’s lawsuit; however, a city spokeswoman previously said it will defend Reed’s decision to terminate Cochran “whether through the EEOC administrative process or in any other appropriate forum,” according to MyFoxAtlanta.com.

The case has sparked widespread debates about First Amendment rights, particularly regarding religious liberties. Cochran previously told CP that he believes his termination is proof of a growing threat on religious freedoms facing Christians and other people of faith.

In his 2013 book, Who Told You That You Are Naked?, Cochran calls homosexuality and lesbianism “sexual perversion” and “vulgar” and also likens it to “bestiality” and “pederasty.”

In November, city officials said Cochran had violated policy by self-publishing his book and then handing it out to employees. Subsequently, he was suspended without pay and forced to undergo sensitivity training.

The book was brought to their attention when an AFRD member complained about Cochran distributing copies in the workplace. A city investigation determined Cochran had not discriminated against LGBT employees but he was fired anyway.

“Every American should be concerned about a government that thinks it can fire you because of what you believe,” said ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot. “If it can happen to Chief Cochran, a distinguished firefighter who attained the highest fire service position in the United States, it can happen to anybody.”

Reed said previously that Cochran was not fired for his religious beliefs but rather “because he displayed bad judgment.” He added that Cochran did not follow the correct protocol prior to writing the self-published book even though the former fire chief has said otherwise.

The city’s ethics code requires a commissioner to get approval from the board of ethics prior to engaging in private activity for pay.

“I had legal permission to write the book from the city’s ethics officer [Nina Hickson],” Cochran told CP in an exclusive interview. “[It] was through a verbal conversation, there was no documentation. … She said it was legal and I was authorized to write it and that she wanted a copy when I finish, after I told her what the book was going to be about.”

Cochran said he was authorized to write the book during a five-minute phone conversation with Hickson.

“I had legal authority to write the book; however, she cannot remember that conversation,” he said.

In a statement to CP, Hickson refuted these claims and cited the Atlanta City Code of Ordinances, Section 2-820 (d).

“The Atlanta’s Ethics Code establishes the required approval process for City Commissioners who wish to engage in outside activities for pay,” Hickson wrote in an email. “Consequently, I did not authorize Chief Cochran to write and publish the book, nor did I have the authority to do so.”

Since his termination, Cochran has been overwhelmed by an outpouring of public support. Last month, hundreds of religious freedom advocates gathered for the “Standing for our Faith Rally” in the Georgia Capitol rotunda and they hand-delivered a petition with 50,000 signatures to Reed’s office.

Faith Driven Consumers, an advocacy group representing 41 million Christians, has called on the mayor to reinstate Cochran as fire chief and also to apologize for his termination via its extinguish intolerance campaign, which has more than 10,000 signatures.

Source: Christian Post

Germany’s Richest Diocese Has Greater Assets Than the Vatican

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Germany’s Richest Diocese Has Greater Assets Than the Vatican

Catholic Herald report– A diocese in Germany has greater assets than the Vatican, it has been revealed.

Cologne diocese published its 2013 accounts yesterday, the fourth of Germany’s 27 bishoprics to present an annual financial balance.

Cologne general-vicar Stefan Hesse presented the figures, showing that it has assets of €3.35 billion (£2.45 billion), which compares with Vatican assets of £2 billion.

More than two-thirds of Cologne’s assets are held in investments, including two housing companies owning 24,000 flats, some for low earners. Fr Hasse also said the income, mostly from the country’s church tax, was also used to help refugees and the homeless. The diocese also has real estate, including schools, seminaries and conference centres, worth £500m, in an area covering two million Catholics.

The German Church is hugely wealthy because registered Catholics must pay a share of their income tax towards the Church under a long-standing agreement dating back to the 19th century. In 2013, the Catholic Church in Germany received almost €5.5 billion (£4.6 billion) via the church tax.

Source: Catholic Herald

 

As Obama Finally Identifed Beheaded Egyptians as ‘Christians’ , He’s Being Asked to Admit ISIS are ‘Radical Islamic Jihadists’

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As Obama Finally Identifed Beheaded Egyptians as ‘Christians’ , He’s Being Asked to Admit ISIS are ‘Radical Islamic Jihadists’

Christian Post report– President Barack Obama has finally identified the 21 Egyptians beheaded by ISIS as Christians, after initially facing criticism for failing to point out that fact in his response to the massacre. Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary, congratulated Obama for taking this “first step,” but also urged him to admit that the ISIS militants are “radical Islamic jihadists.”

“The President acknowledges the martyrdom of Egyptians ‘Christians’ in Libya. This is an important and significant first step. It is well past time for the president and America’s political leaders of both parties to realistically assess the world as it is, not as they might wish it to be,” said Land, who also serves as the executive editor of The Christian Post.

His remarks are aimed at Obama’s op-ed for the LA Times posted on Tuesday, where the president explains that America’s fight is against “violent extremism.”

“In Syria and Iraq, the terrorist group we call ISIL has slaughtered innocent civilians and murdered hostages, including Americans, and has spread its barbarism to Libya with the murder of Egyptian Christians,” Obama wrote, using a different name for ISIS.

Christians around the world are mourning the deaths of the 21 Coptic Christians, who were kidnapped by masked gunmen from Libya in December and January. Their beheadings were recorded in a video released by ISIS, titled “A Message Signed With Blood to the Nation of the Cross.”

In its initial statement about the massacre, the White House only referred to the victims as “Egyptian citizens.” This drew criticism from figures such as evangelical preacher Rev. Franklin Graham and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, who both said Obama should have specifically identified the victims as Christians.

“The truth is — their barbaric murderers openly said they killed them because they were ‘people of the cross.’ Why is the president seemingly continuing to protect Islam and refusing to open his eyes to the truth?” Graham asked earlier this week.

Obama noted in his recent article that ISIS and other terror groups such as Boko Haram kill and kidnap men, women, and children, but said that such actions are rejected by the “overwhelming majority” of Muslims in the world.

“The world must continue to lift up the voices of Muslim clerics and scholars who teach the true peaceful nature of Islam. We can echo the testimonies of former extremists who know how terrorists betray Islam,” Obama wrote.

The President has on numerous occasions stated that the United States is not at war with Islam, but with the terror groups carrying out violenent attacks.

In his statement, Land observed that ISIS and other jihadists “are at war with the United States, Western civilization in general, and their fellow Muslims who refuse to knuckle under and submit to what the President calls their ‘twisted interpretation of religion.'”

“It must always be remembered that the overwhelming majority of people slaughtered by the jihadists so far have been fellow Muslims,” Land added.

He argued, however, that the “enemy” needs to be correctly identified, and it is not enough simply to say that it is terrorism.

“Mr. President, I commend you for correctly identifying the Egyptian martyrs as ‘Christians.’ Now it is time for you to bite the bullet and correctly identify the perpetrators, radical Islamic jihadists,” Land wrote.

Source: Christian Post

 

Libya and Egypt Urges UN to Lift Arms Embargo to Fight Islamic State

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Libya and Egypt Urges UN to Lift Arms Embargo to Fight Islamic State

Telegraph report–  Libya and Egypt asked the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday to lift an arms embargo on Libya and help it build the army so it can tackle Islamic State and other extremist groups.

Mohamed Dayri, the Libyan foreign minister, addressed the council after UN special envoy Bernardino Leon told the group that Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) and other militants in Libya can only be defeated with a united government in place that has strong international support.

“Libya needs a decisive stance from the international community to help us build or national army’s capacity and this would come through a lifting of the embargo on weapons so our army can receive materiel and weapons so as to deal with this rampant terrorism,” Mr Dayri said.

The Libyan government is allowed to import weapons and related materiel with the approval a UN Security Council committee that oversees and arms embargo imposed in 2011.

Libya has descended into factional fighting, leaving the country almost lawless nearly four years after Muammar Gaddafi’s fall. Two competing governments backed by militia brigades are scrambling for control.

The United Nations is mediating between the rival factions in a bid to get them to forge a unity government and end hostilities.

Egypt directly intervened for the first time in the conflict in neighbouring Libya on Monday after Isil released a video showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians.

Sameh Shukri, the Egyptian foreign minister, backed Libya’s call for the arms embargo to be lifted.

Mr Shukri also called for “concrete measures to prevent the acquisition of arms by all non-state militias and entities through the imposition of a naval blockade on arms heading to areas of Libya outside the control of the legitimate authorities.”

Italy called for urgent international action to halt Libya’s slide into chaos, and pledged it was ready to help monitor a ceasefire and train local armed forces.

“In Libya, Islamic State has found fertile ground in the growing post revolution political instability, capitalising also on the weakness of state institutions and state security sector,” Leon, the special envoy, said.

“Defeating terrorism in Libya can only be achieved through the political and institutional determination of a united Libyan government, which will need the strong and unequivocal support from the international community in confronting the myriad challenges facing Libya,” he added.

Source: Telegraph

Evangelicals Could Affect General Elections Positively

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Evangelicals Could Affect General Elections Positively

Christian Today report–

I must admit I was quietly relieved to read the latest statistics from the Evangelical Alliance on what is most likely to affect how evangelical Christians will vote in the coming election.

There are days when some of the traffic on social media and some of the newspaper headlines make it look as if evangelicals might only be concerned about gay marriage and right-to-life issues. I understand how important these issues are for many, but this new survey of 2020 Christians tells a different story.

– Freedom of speech

– Alleviating poverty

– Working to end a foodbank culture

– Fighting human trafficking

– The living wage

– Reducing pornography

– Protecting the NHS

All of the seven issues above make it into the top 10 concerns of evangelicals and apparently will be the deciding factors as to how most will vote.

According to January’s YouGov survey commissioned by Christian Vision for Men, 60 per cent of people who regularly attend church are middle class (ie demographic category ABC1). This makes the range of issues that are central to the voting habits of evangelicals even more interesting. In the main these are not self-interest issues – they are about seeking the welfare of society, not just the Church.They put the needs of the poor and marginalised at the forefront, rather than personal gain. Rather than focusing on tax cuts, immigration or personal pensions, evangelicals are going back to their social activist roots where according to historian Professor Brian Stanley, “Anti-slavery was the cause celebre of the evangelical conscience, and the language and methods of the anti-slavery campaigns were carried over into campaigns against other social and moral wrongs.”

What’s more, when you add up the numbers evangelicals have a real opportunity to influence the public life of the nation as the election approaches. In the 2010 election 29.7 million people voted, which was 65.1 per cent of the electorate. With the last election being one of the closest ever fought, the difference in votes between the three major parties was very small, with Conservatives on 10,726,614, Labour on 8,609,527 and Liberal Democrats on 6,836,824.

Even taking in consideration how the constituency lines fall, 2 million votes can make a very significant difference in what many expect to be an even closer election this year.

With this in mind Christians should take the opportunity to help make sure that questions of social concern are a central part of the election conversation. The recent pastoral letter from bishops of the Church of England encouraging congregations to vote and for asking for a fresh moral vision in British politics was an important step in this direction. The latest survey results from the Evangelical Alliance show the bishops’ pastoral concerns are shared by the majority of evangelical voters.

My hope is that this political opportunity won’t just be for the election season but will lead to more evangelicals using their political influence to seek the welfare of the society in which we all live.

Dr Krish Kandiah is the president of London School of Theology and founder of the fostering and adoption charity Home for Good.

Source: Christian Today

 

War Against ISIS Shouldn’t be Accompanied by Rules, Says Dr. Ben Carson

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War Against ISIS Shouldn’t be Accompanied by Rules, Says Dr. Ben Carson

Christian Post report–  Author and retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson has declared that in a war against the Islamic State, the United States Armed Forces shouldn’t have any “rules” holding them back from defeating the terrorist organization.

In an interview with Fox News’ Bill Hemmer Monday morning, Carson explained that when fighting ISIS, Western rules of engagement could get in the way of victory.

“Our military needs to know that they’re not going be prosecuted when they come back, because somebody has said, ‘You did something that was politically incorrect,'” said Carson.

“There is no such thing as a politically correct war. We need to grow up, we need to mature. If you’re gonna have rules for war, you should just have a rule that says no war. Other than that, we have to win.”

Formed in 2013 as an off shoot of al-Qaeda, ISIS has garnered international attention for their atrocity laden campaign of conquor nations throughout the Middle East and beyond.

ISIS controls large swathes of territory in Northern Iraq, Syria, and most recently the African nation of Libya.

The terror group has shocked the international community with their brutal killings of civilians and prisoners of war, prompting international condemnation and a wave of airstrikes from the United States and other countries.

On Wednesday morning, CNN reported that Kurdish fighters had successfully repelled an ISIS force near the Iraqi city of Erbil.

“Kurdish commanders say ISIS fighters had threatened to overrun Kurdish defensive positions in the area for a while, and the two sides were so close that airstrikes were not possible,” reported CNN.

“The commanders said about 40 ISIS fighters were killed, and Kurdish forces suffered several casualties. They said airstrikes contributed to the ISIS deaths.”

Carson’s comments to Fox News have garnered their share of condemnation as some, including Matt Wilstein of Mediaite, have pointed out notable drawbacks to resorting to war without rules against ISIS.

“While there may be ‘no such thing as a politically correct war,’ there is such a thing as the Geneva Conventions to which the United States is a party,” wrote Wilstein. “And there are such things as war crimes, for which military leaders can be prosecuted if they are committed.”

Carson has since expanded upon his reasoning offered to Fox News in an opinion column published Tuesday wherein he called ISIS “the face of evil.”

“Understanding that we are not evil makes it easier to identify evil elsewhere and to combat it effectively,” wrote Carson.

“When we accept the falsehood that everyone is equally bad and, therefore, we have no right or obligation to interfere with atrocities occurring elsewhere in the world, we facilitate the development and growth of groups such as ISIS, which are not dissimilar to the adherents of Adolf Hitler, who also aspired to world domination.”

Source: Christian Post

 

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